Laboratory Design or Laying out the Lab

You'll need the list below to get started.

Introduction

Nobody is an Expert in every type or kind of lab. Selecting help starts with looking for experieced persons who have done the same type of lab. Visit labs in your type or class, take some notes. Do not just visit the ones the designer or furniture rep suggests. Guides to laboratory design and construction are abundant, however, the guides need to be reviewed with a narrow focus. Each guide you will find is provided from the experience of the writers and few have the broad capability to apply their guide to all of the various laboratories with all their unique requirements. Word of advises, from my twenty years experience, do not expect a design professional to design your lab. Like all of your research, it must be hands on, to be successful. You must do some layout and selection of materials. You will have to spend time learning, and apply what you discover to meet "your requirements" or you risk unacceptable situations and product performance issues. To quote many published experts “planning, designing, and construction of new or renovation of laboratories space is no easy task.” Most of what is published is for the AIA (architects), CSI (construction specifiers), PE (engineers), CM (construction managers), journals, educationals, and do not be confused by all the acronyms used in the resumes and attached to the consultants. Most acronyms represent membership and some memberships are expensive and have little to do with rigorous testing, continued education or licensure. SEFA has an abundance of useful or valued information. SEFA is Scientific Equipment Furniture Association. Members pay a large annual fee. For any manufacture willing to pay, there are benefits of influencing what is published, and what is not. In return for the fee, the members have access to influence documentation input, and prime advertising space. I do not want to imply that what is published is bad or misleading, it is just focused on members products. Other products may be appropriate and even better, and possess valuable features and benefits, but do not have the benefit of the SEFA forum for their presentation.

Most acronyms require or have a requirement such as essay, test, attending a conference, but do not consider that acronym in selecting the consultant or in value of the supplied information. Be wary of any sponsored information. Ask for product comparisons and equal for intended, and ask for list of disclaimed uses. This is vital. Example epoxy counters and sinks use have no warranty if used around dry ice or liquid nitrogen. (Epoxy holds cold, so it will pop and crack like an ice cube exposed to that condition.) (Consider shipments of epoxy during extreme cold too.) Another example, real wood can handled abuse such as bumps, and hits and scraps, but wood is open celled and absorbs odor and can become saturated over time, and even can grow media which can be a health, safety, and quality control issue.) If no sprinklers (automatic fire suppression), do not use wood. Never use wood in labs with flammables or acids of any quantity, unless prepared to have excellent housekeeping and annual maintenance or some unacceptability. Do not rely on sales representative, their job is to sell you stuff. I go into medical labs and find cloth seats on lab chairs, that is not hygenic. There is no regulation, you can not clean a cloth lab chair to what is recommended. It can be a biohazard and not hygenic. Lab Manager's say, "Why did the sales person sell me this?" Some just do not know, too often the focus is not on what is the best product for the situation. Too often it is what do you want and the price becomes the focus.

I have a TLV book, when I got it I expected a demand for this information, as Total Limit Values is so important in determining what chemical or hazards can be worked on a bench and which need to be in hoods. Not knowing is not prudent. I got no calls, from design professionals, as if not required or regulated, there is little interest. Yet, recommended practices and health safety requires knowledge to make decisions. Not having a list of chemicals upon entry to your lab with the quantities posted is a requirement in some cities, and upon entering easy to see list of inventory is on front of acid or flammable cabinets. This is important. This is very important information, that some fire marshalls and safety officers are requiring. You need this list is useful when selecting materials or kind of casework and counter tops or work surfaces that will be appropriate to your lab.

Articles have natural bias, unknowns, ideas, strategies, and aesthetic intent, advertising in the form of infomercials. There is value in every article, but the authors and publishers share information to sell service or product, you must not forget this.

Do You Need to Hire Design Help?

DO YOU NEED an architect, engineer or a design build contractor? If you are building a building, the answer is usually yes. How much does the selected need to know about laboratory design, depends on what you are willing to spend in time and money. Many architects and contractors can without lab experience provide a cost effective building with some direction from you. These professionals should be easy to talk with, good listeners, and have a list of satisfied clients in a variety of applications that you personally can talk to about what it was like to work with them. Good chemistry between the construction team and you and your management is critical to a successful project. The known for laboratory work firms tend to be all knowing, while they have lots of projects in their portfolio, you may find they have limited contact with or access to the users of the space, and who are often left out and dissatisfied on large project and lengthy ones. The designs are often usual or typical of previous, and this works for school and university projects works fine, but for real working labs this boilerplate approach to design can be expensive. Architectural services fees (costs) will often be equal or greater than that of the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical. Engineers like matrix scoring for evaluation. Selecting engineering partners has been described as adding “flavors” and that sounds good, yet what you need again is realistic and real world experience and flexibility in the construction team and contractor. Finding a way to reward and have the team on the ground with job experience can save time and money. When the mechanical and electrical and HVAC contracting team can have real influence, there is fewer surprises and more timely construction. Local firms have more flexibility and can be less expense and are more willing to be accommodating, whereas an out of area contractor or professional has expenses that most be taken into consideration. The selection of regional construction professionals and products should be part of the plan. Qualified suppliers can ship from greater distance, but that is getting more costly, and installation and your general contractor and architect should be local. If a supplier is handling the installation, be sure they have local and licensed installers and one who are certified by them to do the work. By selecting a large lab specialized architectural firm does not mean you get their “A” team either. Unless your project is several million dollars do not expect to get the “A” team. Even if you get the large specialize firm, do not be surprised to find they feel they have done so many typical projects that they indicate yours is typical and they have only to apply what they know to your job and it is going to be easy. Easy for them, and look good; but will it be appropriate, functional, cost efficient, most important fill your current need and be flexible enough for your future requirements.

Laboratory Casework, Do I Need Modular or Fix or Flexible Systems

Flexible is a costly and not so flexible term, as is modular and mobile. Do not get in the trap of thinking some of what you are shown is flexible and moveable or changeable. If someone shows you, a system of hanging or frames, and says it is flexible, ask them to show you right now. If it takes two or more persons or any equipment it is “not flexible. Modular and mobile is less expensive than system furniture. Having an adaptable design can be important. How do will you change an area? Do you need sitting to standing flexible really? Find someone with it and see if they have ever changed it, compare the cost. What time is it going to take, in terms of man hours? What dollar outlay and what impact on cleaning around this system model? Is it critical. If your cleaning staff, cannot clean under and around it, you have allowed a system to be designed that can compromise critical research. Hanging systems waste space and cannot store as much as conventional, and are housekeeping considers it a nightmare. Modular is good if it can be relocated without a great deal of time or added expense. (Are the sides finished?) If mobile, how is it leveled and stablized? Once it is loaded can you move it easy? Are the casters of the type and material that will last and not mark or damage floor? What accessories can you add to secure or lock or control the unit and its contents? Tables are excellent. Tables can have cabinets on casters under the table counters. Tables can have shelf units or frames or reagent shelves, or tall shelves can have tables in front and can be attached to the floor for stable maximum use of space and allow tabletops to be available for work. There never is enough bench space or storage. Keep it simple. Determine the space to perform the flow of work, then determine what supporting service or office is required. Do not let the office and support areas determine the lab space in a building. Who makes the money? The lab is the moneymaking, showroom for product; quality control is part of the sales presentation and company image. There is an economic benefit to purchasing laboratory furniture outside of the building package in the way the lab casework gets depreciated. If it is laboratory furniture it depreciates on a furniture schedule, like a desk or chair which is excellerated. It must be self supporting without raw sides, and not rely on an abutting wall or cabinet for its stability or function. Check with your accountant, do not let this become part of the building depreciation schedule when it can be deprciated more rapidly to provide tax benefits.

Here is a list of general design information:

Designing or Laying out your Lab

It is said the average person hates to read, and reads only what is required, that is not the typical lab client. Grounded in science, you search for information, and most of you are avid readers, like learning, acquire knowledge quickly, and make decisions based on the best factual information. Understanding is key to lab planning. Understanding and participation insures direction is towards the goal. When it comes to designing your lab, nobody can do it for you; like you can do for yourself. Lab Design is a process of informed decision making, with elements of understanding and discovery.

You'll need:

1. Note book with graph paper and tracing or overlay paper, a tape measure, pencil or pen and a helper is good.
Create a plan of the walls of the room with dimensions or proposed dimensions on the outside of the wall indicate measurements.
Mark feet and inches |---10 foot 5 1/2 inches ----| Do show all the irregularties pipes, columns, corners and angles, show door location and size.
2. Decide which wall bench will be 24" deep (no pipe chase) or 30" deep with a 7" pipe chase. Decide back splash height and style if in a room with window sills in mind.
3. Center tables 46" (no pipe chase or 54" wide with pipe chase.
4. Aisle space, 42" minimum usual 48" to 72" between runs of cabinets.
5. Start to think about service fixtures like hot-cold mixing faucets deck mounted and if to be mounted so piping is in 7" pipe chase or if panel or wall mounted would serve you best.
6. Services for sinks, hoods, and safety equipment can be centrally located so you can save on utility or service costs.
7. Care needs to be taken in location hoods, so they are out of walk or high traffic areas and stack and ducting can take the most direct route to the outside roof and stack.
8. Noted special sinks, hoods, and equipment placement. Start in corners and mark areas as standing or sitting and one ADA. Standing is 36-37" and Sitting is 28 1/2 - 30" depending on furniture selected.
9. Watch exit pathways as you mark out islands or pennisulas. Remember access to safety showers and eyewash should be direct and not to exceed 25 foot from any point, or consider more than one eyewash and hand-held style spray.
10. Watch wall cabinet or wall upper placement with accessibility and also vary height off counter for some equipment which may be top loading or taller. Consider island placement for instruments that have need of back or computer trays and gromments or wire managment.
11. Consider shelving and or reagent shelving in center of pennisulas or islands, consider knee space areas, under counter freezers, floor access with tanks or water heaters, vacumn pumps.
12. Select cabinets with activity of area in mind. Mark area sample prep, receiving, staining, do consider table frame, scope areas, caster base or modualar moveable should consist of 15 - 20% and do begin a list of new equipment. Gather specifications and service requirements.
13. Do start a list of chemicals or activity list and if dry ice or cryogenic work. Some materials can not handle cryogenic or dry ice so do not select epoxy resin counter or sinks for this application.
14. Counters of Epoxy Resin are good with heat and many chemicals, but Chemsurf, Imperial Stone, galvanized and stainless steel, Trespa, and other new phenolics should be given consideration and tested.
15. Cabinets of metal, laminated wood, trespa, and wood all have appropriate use and in some cases only stainless steel should be used.
16. Style of counter flat, box curb back splash, end curbs, and cupsinks, and fixtures of air, gas, vacumn, and deck mount electrical or plug or wiremold or power poles need to be noted.
17. Do not forget to make list of accessories and equipment, like balance table, stools, chairs, waste recepticals, pegboards or drain racks, acid, flammable, bases, or special storage units, tall storage, file drawers, lazy susans, locks, card or label holders, distillation racks, titration superstrures, venting, filtration, wardrobe or lockers, glasswasher, keyboard, CPU trolleys, and pullboards.
18. Base Molding to be supplied by lab furniture supplier or flooring company.
19. Chemical storage buildings, fume hood fans and accessories, biosafety cabinets, transport carts, refrigerators, freezers, incubators, ovens, and Bactrons (see www.shellab.com)and cones or IVT (instrument vents).
20. Canopy hoods, shields, ceiling closures, bracing, earthquake lipped shelving, vent kits, pullouts, sliding shelves and glass door units including wire, frosted, film treatments for safety.
21. Or do 1. in the list and fax it to us with your phone number and we will get you started with a preliminary drawing or two. Fax 509 796-2598.

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    Experience is important, I have twenty plus years helping lab staff design, layout, and select their materials, but every job has the potential for new, critical issues, and learning for me. I have books on lab design, books of jobs, my picture books. Review examples of work to help select products, get ideas on ayouts, and styles. Example and test materials and review construction. Know 10 ga is heavier than 12 and that 12 is heavier then 14 and 22 is light and not suited for even a lab sink. Whether a new lab, a remodel, or a re-installation, there is a lot to think about before you can order. Even if out of my service area, I will help if I can solved product selection problems, provided specifications, and you can email, call or fax me for help. This is an exciting business, with ever changing requirements. Tools to help you include that TLV book, so if you do not know the Threshold Limit Values and the Biological Indices for the substances in use in your lab I can help or you get get information or a book. The TLV as a guidelines for control of health hazards, it recommendations and as a supplement to your occupational safety and health program, it can be important for selection of safety equipment you need. It was adopted by ACGIH and published to assist you, an example, knowing you cannot work on a open bench with some chemicals, means you need a fume hood. Just because it is not unpleasant, does not mean it is not a danger; you know this. I have other lab safety references as well as source of information from associations and agencies data. I add information databases, check back for new links. Email me to add safety links to our list.
    

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    OSHA 29CFR1910.1200 new info for updating or preparing HAZCOM program.
    

    Laboratory Ventilation References & Standards Federal Register 29CFR Part 1910 Occupational Health and Safety U.S. Department of Labor www.osha.gov
    Industrial Ventilation: A manual of Recommended Practice
    American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists www.acgih.org
    ASHRAE 110-1995 Method of Testing Performance of Fume Hoods American Socierty of Heating, Refregerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers www.ASHRAE.org
    ANSI Z9.5-1993 Laboratory Standard American Industrial Hygiene Association www.aiha.org
    U.S. Hotlines National Response Center www.nrc.uscg.mil (800-424-8802)
    Chemical Transportation Emergency Center www.chemtrec.org
    NIOSH Technical www.cdc.gov/niosh
    Substance Identification by CAS number 800 848-6538 www.cas.org
    American Association of Poison Control Centers 202 362-7217 www.aapcc.org
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